The Underground
by Some1GetMyCape
Summary: It begins with a race. An illegal street race hosted by Chicago's top underground racing circuit. Throw in a hot headed Autobot, a reckless driver who will do anything to win, and Decepticons who are discovering that humans may not be completely useless to them and you got yourself a disaster waiting to happen. "There is no walking away from this, is there?" Mikaela shook her head.


AN: Okay, so this is the first time I've ever written anything that has as big a plot as what I am writing now. This chapter is definitely more to introduce the OC of this story and kind of establish what's about to go down, hence the shortness of it.

1. I apologize for the lack of Cybertronian in this chapter, next one will definitely have plenty of giant robot-y goodness.

2. I don't know much about Hot Rod, he's a G1 character after all, and I've only seen a handful of those episodes myself. Since he hasn't shown up in the movies I figured I'd take a little creative license and make him what I need for this story. So in my head cannon, he's decent at human culture, hotheaded and often impulsive, and he used to be a street racer on Cybertron.

So I think that's all for now.

* * *

"Where are my keys!"

That is the first thing he hears every morning. What Howard Crew fails to understand is why the child can't keep up with her keys on her own. She doesn't have the excuse that she's getting old; last he remembered she was nearing her 25th birthday.

The elderly man gently shut the refrigerator door and picked up his glass of orange juice from his kitchen counter. The drink sloshed around as he carried it in an unsteady hand to the giant green velvet monster of a couch that dominated his living room, where he carefully lowered himself.

He winced at the noises his back made and sighed in relief when he felt his bottom land. A shaking hand brought the glass to his thin lips, and he allowed memories of when he was 25 dominate his thoughts as he drank.

He used to be a handsome one, that's for sure. Couldn't keep the ladies off. Of course he was much too focused on Gladys to concern himself with the other broads who he constantly found himself surrounded by.

He lowered his glass and let his eyes drift to the photograph on the old oak coffee table in front of him. An image of his beloved Gladys stared back at him, eyes twinkling as though she was in front of him now. She was almost 30 in that photo, he noticed with a smile.

He remembered being 30 as well.

And with that, Howard Crew dropped off into his mid-morning nap, thoughts of too thin apartment walls and the 1960's dancing in his head.

Meanwhile…

River stood in the middle of the doorway that led to her and her beau's tiny bedroom, scanning the room in front of her with narrow eyes. It was relatively clean and she figured that her keen eyes could locate the aforementioned keys if they were in fact in the small space.

"Standing in the doorway won't help you know; you actually have to walk inside and _look_." Garret McKenny called to his girlfriend from the kitchen where he stood at the stove, cheerfully flipping pancakes.

River scoffed and turned, her bare feet making her steps silent on the hard wood flooring of her apartment as she entered the kitchen. She moved next to her boyfriend and peered over his shoulder, crinkling her nose at the dark brown coloring it was acquiring.

"Babe," She started, biting her bottom lip to keep from laughing, "I'm pretty sure that it's done… well done." He quickly moved said pancake from the smoky pan and onto a plate piled high with pancakes that were in a similar state and turned slightly to give his love a sheepish grin.

"You aren't gonna leave me for a chef are you?" He grinned, nose barely touching hers. She giggled and brought up her hand, tangling it within the soft light brown curls that covered Garret's head.

"Probably," She mumbled, closing the small distance between their lips for a chaste kiss. She pulled away and grinned, "Unless, of course, you tell me where my keys are. Then you would be of use to me again." He smirked and grabbed the plate of pancakes from the counter.

He pointed towards the door as he moved over to the small kitchen table. "On the key hook, where they belong." He set down the plate and went about searching for the maple syrup. River stared at her keys in shock.

"Well damn. I actually put them where they were supposed to go." She laughed slightly, and began gathering all of her dark, wavy hair into a ponytail that sat high up on her head. She secured it and walked over to the couch where her favorite cropped leather jacket lay crumpled.

Her beau watched from his place leaning against the counter. "There's a first time for everything. Where are you going," His green eyes lowered as he took in her clothes, "Wearing that?"

River glanced down and scoffed. She was currently dressed in a pair of short shorts, a white camisole, and began pulling on a pair of heavy looking black boots that were barely below her knees. "I've worn worse. I have a race tonight and I won't have time to come back and change, so I have to go out in what I'm wearing tonight." She explained, pulling on her jacket.

Garret sighed and crossed his arms. "Why do you have to wear that kind of stuff to the races anyway?" He asked, bottom lip poking out a little. River laughed at his pouty expression.

"Ramón pays me more when I dress nice." She answered breezily as she sauntered up to her boyfriend. "I gotta go pick up some parts and then I'll bring 'em to Marty's so you can do some work on my car." She gave Garret a quick peck on the lips and was about to walk away when he grabbed her forearm and pulled her close again.

"Oh no you don't. You can go after breakfast. I slaved over a hot stove for you and you are going to sit your little ass down and eat these delicious pancakes." He pulled out one of the wooden chairs for his girlfriend, and she accepted it with a laugh.

* * *

Major Will Lennox stood tall and proud at the center of one of the tall metal walkways that weaved and crossed through much of NEST. His thick arms were crossed at his chest and his back was rigid and straight.

Standing in front of him were 3 giant sentient robots, and while most humans would be uncomfortable on the receiving end of the piercing azure gaze of 3 aliens, Lennox seemed completely at ease.

"So," He began, pacing slightly, "Chicago has one of the biggest illegal racing circuits in the country, known as The Underground. Normally this kind of thing is below our authority and we wouldn't even bother with it, but we have intel stating that there may be something bigger going on there."

"How big you talkin' Will? Decepticon big?" Jazz spoke up from his place on Optimus's right. Lennox nodded and glanced over his shoulder, gesturing for the Private who stood there to begin talking. The Private, Rodney Hollis, spoke up, obviously far less confident around the Cybertronians than Lennox.

"I, I suggested to Major Lennox that we could send in an Autobot to see if he, or, or she can get some more information." He kept his grey eyes focused intently on his meticulously polished boots. Lennox nodded and looked back up at Optimus.

"That could work, and I may have the perfect bot for the job. My only concern is that the humans who run this organization may be more secretive to someone that they do not know." His deep baritone rolled over their eardrums. Lennox grinned.

"Already got that covered. Hollis here has a friend who fixes up cars for these races and he told us that if we want to get someone who can get in with the big guys of the operation, our best bet is Nos. Unfortunately, this guy is not only the best and most well – known racer in the circuit, but also the most mysterious." He smirked.

"Wouldn't that mean he is difficult to get access to?" Ironhide spoke up, raising an optic ridge. Lennox's smirk grew, if such a thing was possible.

"Yes it would, unless…" He leaned forward onto the railing, "Someone beats him. You think one of your boys is up to it?"

Optimus gained an expression that resembled Lennox's. "I'll tell Hot Rod about his new assignment now."

* * *

**Preview of the Next Chapter:**

"_So what does Nos stand for?"_

"_Like Nitrous Oxide."_

"_How did you pick that one up?"_

"_They say I can make _anything _go faster."_

There you go! Now these previews only include the dialogue from this particular moment. Think of this chapter as kind of a pilot to see if anyone is interested in reading on. I need reviews to see what people think or what they would like to see, so please click that lovely button down there and let me know what you're thinking.

Peace, Love, and Batman

-Some1GetMyCape


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